1950 Schwinn American Flyer with sidecar

[silverbear]

I've been riding this bike for a long time, several years now, and it keeps changing. the frame remains my number one find at the local dump... what find. I did refer to it as a Panther, as that is what the frame is. It used to have a 50cc H.S. four stroke as part of the EZMotors kit.

Last winter it began changing into what I now call an "American Flyer" It has sported that head badge since I started riding it and when I found a set of American Flyer decals for the tank, it just had to be. First the engine was replaced with a 99cc Predator. Then a big change came with the addition of the in frame gas tank, thanks to all the help from my friend, Tinsmith.

The other major change was adding a canoe sidecar. Fasteddy helped me make the sidecar body a couple of years ago... turning my pipe dream into something real. We were both surprised at how well that beat up old Grumman canoe turned out. From 17 feet it got shrunken down to bike size and the beam was reduced to a little wider than a kitchen chair. Last summer he made the frame for it with the idea it would go on the Indian Hiawatha build, but this summer I decided ti needed to become part of the American Flyer.
(cont.)
SB

 

[silverbear]

The sidecar has been a lot of fun both for me and for my little buddy, Aaniimoosh The Wonder Dog. She likes her sidecar a whole lot, but only tolerates the doggles. Every day we go for rides from home to pass nearby lakes in the forest. We're fortunate to have such beauty at close hand with very few motorists on an excellent road. The few we do pass usually give a smile, wave or a thumbs up. Pretty cool. Aaniimoosh has a number of admirers.
(Cont.)
SB

 

[silverbear]

One of the photos shows Steve welding bolts to the bottom edge of the sidecar frame so that the fender can be attached.

I also wanted to show the means of attaching the sidecar frame to the bike. We wanted first for the sidecar to be easily removable. A second consideration was for the mounts to not be welded to the frame, but also be removable.

There are three attachment points. One is behind the seat post. Another is to the front down tube. A split collar holds the arm in position and allows for toe in alignment. The third attachment point will be in the next post.
(cont.)
SB

 

[silverbear]

To remove the sidecar one bolt is removed at the point behind the seat. The front mount comes loose with removing the split collar (two allen bolts) and the bottom attachment at the chain stay comes loose with one 3/4" steel pin. A few minutes is ali it takes and there is no need to realign things when it goes back together. Slick, thanks to Steve's foresight.

I hope you like the sidecar and bike. I do, and that's the main thing. One change made since these photos is replacing the engine driven sprocket at the rear wheel. It was 64 teeth and now is 70... a bit better for hills and starting out as this is a heavy rig with bike, Suzuki fork, sidecar, dog and bear.
SB

 

[feelyx]

That is cool!, never thought o a canoe, the dog must love it too! I do have a couple questions, are those Suzuki front forks? and which hubs are you running?
Thanks

 

[silverbear]

That is cool!, never thought o a canoe, the dog must love it too! I do have a couple questions, are those Suzuki front forks? and which hubs are you running?
Thanks

Thanks.
Yes, a Suzuki K-10 fork, modified Harbor Freight dune buggy light for the headlight, front drum brake hub and sidecar drum brake hub are Worksman, the rear wheel is coaster brake.
SB

 

[Allen_Wrench]

Kickin' sidecar, SB!

 

[chainmaker]

Very cool SB.

 

[darkhawk22]

Very cool! I love the re-purposing you have done with the canoe and other parts of your build.

 

[Mr.B.]

This whole bike just has a nice balance to it- Well done SB!

-Kirk

 

[harry76]

Well done Silverbear. I love the sidecar and it looks 100 times better with Aaniimoosh in it. Did she like the sidecar from the start or did she take some persuading?

Beautiful bike, a cool little riding partner, the empty open road and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Youre a lucky man Silverbear.

 

[silverbear]

Thanks for all of the nice comments, you guys. It means a lot to me.

Harry, I took her for a couple of very slow rides up and down the driveway and talked to her a bit as we rode along. I also put her blanket in the sidecar for her to sit on. She seemed OK with things so we went for a long ride of an hour and a half or so. She likes being able to see better than she could from the kiddie trailer she used to ride in and doesn't have an exhaust pipe aiming right at her. Now she sits tall and looks over the bow to catch a glimpse of Little Johnnie Pissoff, the red squirrel that seems to be everywhere... she passes him by and a mile later there he is again. Ha! So she's always on the lookout for deer, bear or whatever there is. Thankfully no moose so far this summer. Last year we saw a couple and also a couple of gray wolves and regularly the same red fox who learned to recognize the sound of the bike motor and would sit at the edge of the forest to watch Aaniimoosh ride by. Maybe he was thinking, "what a babe!"

Actually, she has gotten used to the sidecar quicker and more easily than I have. Handling is much different than riding with two wheels, particularly taking turns. There is no leaning into curves with a fixed sidecar and I hadn't realized how much steering I did before just by leaning. Now it is all in turning the handlebars. So it was a little freaky at first, but now I'm more comfortable with turning although I still am extra cautious and slow down for sharp turns. In general I ride more slowly, but I'm getting in to that and would guess that I cruise between 20 and 30 mph.

I took the bike into Ely, the town 12 miles away, and very nearly stopped traffic there was so much interest in seeing this strange thing ride by. Ely is known as the canoe capital of the world as it is the main entry point into the million acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness which is mirrored on the Canadian side of the border by Quetico Provincial Park. Together they are a jewel of the planet in my opinion. There's nothing like it anywhere else. In Minnesota alone there are over 12,500 lakes, almost all of which are in the northeastern part of the state known as the Arrowhead. There is water everywhere. You can paddle from here to Hudson Bay, portaging from one lake to another. This is where I grew up. It is home. And yes, I am a lucky old fellow for sure.

You can see why a canoe sidecar is a big hit around here. I was thinking this evening when I finished a ride that I wish I had had this rig a long time ago when my kids were little and could have gone riding with dad. Too late for that, but not too late for grandchildren.

If anyone is interested in how the sidecar body was made I'll try to find a link to the thread which has a lot of photos and shows what we did. I had bought the canoe for $20.00 with a couple gashes in the mid section from destruction in a rapids. I still have the best end to make another if I want. We'll see.

I'm in the middle of making a sidecar from a baby carriage for the 34 Elgin build. It will be much lighter than this one and has flex mounts so that the bike can lean into curves. I'm curious how that will work out.

If you have a place to ride it, I'd encourage anyone to try making a sidecar. It's a hoot!
SB

 

[silverbear]

Still wracking up the miles and enjoying the daily ride. I love the double takes from passing motorists... "Was that a canoe??? Did you see the dog???" Children especially are fascinated with the dog riding in a sidecar. Had a couple of good looking younger women smile and one of them called out "Hi, baby!". I'm quite sure the comment was directed at the dog, but I can dream, can't I? Be still, my beating heart. Ha!
SB

 

[birdmannn101]

Silverbear, What year Schwinn did you use? Did the K-10 fork fit without any problems? Are you using motorcycle or bicycle wheel on front? Where did you get that neat seat, looks pretty comfortable....Dan

 

[silverbear]

Dan,
The Schwinn is 1950. The k-10 fork fit nicely. I don't remember, but I may have needed to shim it a bit with an extra washer from another headset donor. It is a great fork. The seat is an original one that came on the bike. I added some foam and covered it in elk hide, my first poor attempt at re upholstering a seat. It is substantial and very comfortable. The front wheel is an old Worksman given to me by fasteddy a couple of years ago.
SB

 

[Tinsmith]

Looks like you fellas are coming along nicely! A Crisscraft and canoe sidecar duo. I'd like to see a video of you guys rollin' into town.
Dan